For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-105289 published on Apr. 21, 2005 discloses a hydrogen water supply device. In this device, in order to effectively produce hydrogenated water (water containing active hydrogen) that is beneficial to a human body, the hydrogenated water is produce at the side of a cathode by electrolyzing water in an electrolytic receptacle. The hydrogenated water has a reduction action, and accordingly can display effects of anti-aging and long storage of food.
Similarly, by electrolyzing water, oxygenated water (water containing oxygen) is produced at the side of an anode. The oxygenated water can get rid of insufficient oxygen of cells, and also display soothing effect and so on. Hereinafter, hydrogenated water or oxygenated water is also referred to as “functional water”.
In order to supply functional water over, e.g., a skin surface of a user or a room, it is desirable to atomize functional water.
For example, PCT International Publication No. WO 2004/105958 A1 (U.S. Pat. No. 7,473,298 B2) published on Dec. 9, 2004 discloses a method of creating an environment where a mist of charged fine particulate water is dispersed. The mist is generated by applying high voltage across electrodes while supplying water between the electrodes with a water supply unit. The charged fine particulate water contains at least one of hydroxyl radicals, superoxides, nitrogen monoxide radicals and oxygen radicals.
However, the mist is discharged from the tip of a spicula electrode (a second electrode), and accordingly a plurality of spicula electrodes are required in order to supply functional water to, e.g., every corner of a room. Consequently, the atomization device for generating the mist grows in size and thereby difficult to apply to various apparatus.
It is, therefore, desired that mist obtained by atomizing functional water is widely discharged without a plurality of spicula electrodes and an electrolytic receptacle that affect dimensions.